The present invention relates generally to consumer products, and more particularly to paper consumer products and machines for forming them.
Drinking straws are a very old art. A straw is a simple tool that exploits a change in air pressure to cause a fluid to rise above a settled level in a receptacle such as a cup. The first mass-produced drinking straws were formed from paper. At the time, available technology allowed paper straws to take on a limited number of shapes to produce only a limited variety of paper straws. Further, paper straws were more susceptible to sogginess, degradation, cavitation, and crumpling or collapsing. Additionally, paper straws could not bend repeatedly without being destroyed. Plastic drinking straws soon replaced paper straws and made a huge variety of shapes to be manufactured. Plastic drinking straws had numerous advantages over paper straws beyond varied shapes. Plastic drinking straws could withstand exposure to liquid far longer than paper straws could. Plastic straws could handle hot liquids much better. Plastic straws were fairly rigid and resilient, even after accidental bending. Plastic straws could be constructed with very thin sidewalls and thus use very small amounts of material at low cost. Plastic straws could be produced on very simple machines capable of forming the straws very quickly. Plastic straws were extremely light in weight. For many of these reasons, plastic straws quickly rendered paper straws virtually obsolete for all but a few purposes.
Paper straws, nonetheless, have retained some relevancy in the novelty, party, and specialty markets. Paper drinking straws are generally highly engineered and cost four to five times more than plastic straws. This increased cost is usually justified by the nature of the novelty, party, or specialty purpose for which the straws are being purchased. However, the old problems of paper straws still persist: paper straws frequently will collapse with use or will collapse if bent too far or too frequently. Paper straws can cavitate if they become soggy or crushed. The paper used to form the straws can be difficult to work on a mass-production machine, and construction of paper straws can thus be slow. An improved paper drinking straw, and method for forming one, is needed.